


No Matter What

by starlightmesss



Series: Melancholic Omens [14]
Category: Good Omens (TV)
Genre: Angel Crowley (Good Omens), Demon Aziraphale (Good Omens), Fluff, Happy Ending, Kissing, Light Angst, Love Confessions, Making Out, Scene: The Airbase, Scene: The Bandstand (Good Omens), Scene: The Bookshop Fire (Good Omens), rated T to be safe but there's nothing too graphic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:42:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27303598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starlightmesss/pseuds/starlightmesss
Summary: Raphale and Zira have to decide what to do now.The story of the 11 years since the beginning of Armageddon, the end of it, and the aftermath.
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Series: Melancholic Omens [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1568305
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	No Matter What

**Author's Note:**

> this is it!! this is the last part for the main plot. I can't believe it's finally finished after over a year of working on it ahhhh
> 
> there will be side stories tho! but they will come with time so enjoy this finale for now! Thank you to everyone reading it

“They’re looking for a nanny and a gardener.”

“You should go as the gardener.”

“When was the last time I looked after plants, Raphael?”

“The one I gave you is still alive.”

“I miracled it.”

“Why, Zira, when was the last time you looked after a  _ child _ ?”

“When I delivered the Antichrist.”

“Wasn’t it in a basket or something?”

“....maybe, yes. When was the last time  _ you  _ did?”

“What?? I’m great with children.”

“Since when??”

“It doesn’t matter. I’ll help you with the garden, plus you can use miracles on that too.”

Zira sighed. “Fine.”

-

-

“Leonard, can you do me a favour?”

“Of course!”

“I need you to update me on what Hell does with Armageddon if they don’t tell me.”

“Why?”

“I can’t tell you. Also, if they are about to find out something about Raphael-”

“I’ll try to not let that happen, got it. But the Apocalypse-”

“You have to trust me. If I tell you, you’ll be in danger.”

The demon sighed. “Alright.”

-

-

Raphael got into the Bentley. “So what happens now? The Hellhound didn’t show up, can it be that it didn’t find him or something?”

“No, it’s  _ made  _ to find him. It’s not him.”

“How is that possible? Didn’t you deliver him?”

“Well, yes, but I didn’t switch the babies. Blame it on the nuns.”

“Maybe there was another baby and they messed up?”

“Could be. We need to find out.”

Raphael started the car.

-

-

“For the last time, Zira, my music taste can vary, I don’t only listen to Queen- what?”

“This book. I think the American girl left it in the car.”

“So?”

“All copies of this book have been destroyed except for the first edition.”

“This isn’t really the time-”

“It’s a prophecies book. The only one with completely accurate ones.”

“Really?”

Zira turned the book to show him the cover. “It clearly says  _ ‘Nice and Accurate’ _ ...”

Raphael glared at him. 

“Come on, I’ll show you.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, Hell is too busy preparing for the Apocalypse.”

The Archangel followed him inside.

-

-

“I’m going to try and talk to God.”

Zira stopped turning page midmotion. “What?”

“Look, I know the angels aren’t… great.”

The demon looked at him meaningfully. Raphael sighed. “I know, but it’s God I’m talking about. She can’t just not care at all about what happens to humans. They’re Her favourite. I have to try.”

Zira nodded. “Fine, I’ll call you if I find anything.”

“Of course.”

-

-

When Zira reached the bandstand, Raphael was already standing there, looking at the ground.

“Raphael?”

The archangel took off his sunglasses, hung them on his shirt, and lifted his head, meeting the demon’s eyes and seeing them filling with worry, his own expression probably telling how his conversation with the Almighty had gone. Or attempt to make it.

“Raphael-” 

“She won’t do anything.”

“You talked to Her?”

“I didn’t get to. She made it pretty clear though.” Raphael looked away, feeling his voice starting to break. “I knew Heaven wanted Armageddon to happen but-”

Zira walked closer to him. “Maybe She-”

“She doesn’t care,” Raphael interrupted, looking back at Zira, voicing the thoughts he wished weren’t going through his mind. “She doesn’t care, how can She not care?”

The demon placed a hand on his arm, Raphael leaned his forehead against his.

“She has always cared about humans, dear.”

“How can you still say that?” Raphael moved back to look at him. “After everything She has done? To them, to- to  _ you _ .” It didn’t make sense, why did he still believe that? He had told him in Mesopotamia when She was about to send a flood and during the various plagues humanity went through.  _ Ineffable _ , he had always reminded him. 

Angels Fell because they didn’t believe in Her, how was it possible that he still-

Zira sighed and looked away.

“You don’t believe it. You’re just saying it so I won’t stop believing it and won’t Fall.”

The demon opened his mouth probably to say something, but Raphael didn’t give him the time. He threw his arms around his neck and hugged him tight.

After a few seconds, Zira spoke. “I may have lost my faith in Her, but what I’ve always told you, about Her plan and all of that, I believe it. But when the War in Heaven happened…” he trailed off.

Raphael pulled away. Now it wasn’t the time. He dried the tears he hadn’t realized he had cried until then and took a deep breath. “Okay. What do we do now?”

Zira looked like he suddenly remembered something. “Right! The Antichrist, I found him.”

“You did? Where is he?”

“I have everything written down at the bookshop, we should go.”

“Right, I’ll drive you there, then we can go.”

-

-

“For somebody with so many books, you don’t seem too smart, Zira.”

“Ah, Hastur, Ligur. To what do I owe the pleasure?” He had eventually learned their names.

“Cut it, Zira. We saw you with that angel. You don’t seem to be learning this lesson.”

“I can assure you, whatever you saw-”

“What? We misunderstood? Like the last time? We’re not stupid, Zira.”

The demons walked towards him, Zira took a few steps back instinctively, not noticing a candle falling off the table when he bumped into it.

-

-

Raphael had been waiting outside the bookshop for way too long. 

_ Is that-  _

_ Shit. _

_ Fire _ .

Raphael ran inside the bookshop without a second thought. Zira wasn’t there.

-

-

The archangel was sitting in his car, a few blocks away. The prophecy book he had grabbed from the bookshop before he had to leave was on the passenger seat. Maybe it could help.

Then he heard a noise coming from the sidewalk. He looked outside and there he was. Leonard.

Raphael was a little disappointed, worry consuming him. He just wanted to know if Zira was okay.

The demon waved at him, Raphael opened the door and stepped out. 

“Raphael! Oh I’m so glad I found you, I wasn’t too sure you’d still be here, but here you are and-”

“Leonard.”

“Right! Yeah, sorry. Zira sent me to tell you something.”

Raphael felt like he could breathe again. Not that he needed to. 

“He’s fine?”

“Yeah. The others had taken him Downstairs but he got out.”

“How?”

“Long story. I helped. Holy water involved.”

Raphael felt his eyes going comically wide. “What?”

“Yeah, I may have stolen some when Zira asked for help with the Apocalypse. It’s particularly easy to steal something when nobody pays much attention to you.”

Leonard finished the concerningly sad sentence with a proud smile. He had always said the other demons didn’t seem to listen to him much, but he looked happy he could help Zira and Raphael realized how much he cared for him, and felt a little guilty for doubting him.

“But- are you okay? Is Zira okay?”

“Oh yes, don’t worry, the Holy Water only hurt Ligur,” he said, as if destroying one of his kind had been just a minor inconvenience. Raphael knew Leonard didn’t like them, just like Zira, but was expecting a little bit more of a reaction. It wasn’t the moment to worry about it, though.

“What did he want you to tell me?”

“Oh, yeah! Right! He went to the Tadfield Airbase. He couldn’t risk going back to the bookshop right now, so he’s waiting for you there. You should also hurry.”

“What about you?”

“I’m going back to Hell.”

“Are you sure-”

“Don’t worry, they don’t know I helped, but I should go back before they start suspecting something.”

Raphael wasn’t entirely sure about that, but now he had to run. He opened the door to his car. “Oh, Leonard?” he called, before getting in.

“Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

The demon smiled. “No problem! Be careful. And stop Armageddon.”

-

-

“Zira!”

“Raphael! Are you okay?”

“Am  _ I  _ okay? You were dragged to Hell, I was worried sick.”

“I’m good. We have to get inside now.”

-

-

“Is that..”

“The sword you had in Eden?”

“Yeah. I think so.”

-

-

-

They were driving back to Raphael’s apartment. Zira couldn’t go back to his bookshop after it had burned down, after all. The silence between them was comfortable, as they both were processing what had just happened. Armageddon had been stopped. Adam, the Antichrist himself, had stopped it. Him and three other friends of his. A group of eleven year olds had stopped Armageddon, but Raphael and Zira weren’t out of danger yet. 

When Adam had refused to start the Apocalypse and the Horsepeople had been sent away, Gabriel and Beelzebub had shown up and had threatened both of them. 

“This flew out of the book when you gave it back to the girl,” Zira had said when they had gotten in the car, showing Raphael a little piece of paper. “I thought it might help us.” 

“Why?” had asked Raphael, reading it. 

_ When alle is fayed and all is done, ye must choofe your faces wisely, for soon enouff ye will be playing with fyre.  _

“I’m not sure, but I have a feeling it’s for us.”

Raphael parked outside his building, in front of his flower shop. His apartment was on the second floor. 

None of them moved, though,  and Raphael wasn’t ready to try and figure out whatever the crazy lady who had written the book meant with that last prophecy. 

So he asked, “do you want to take a break? Drive somewhere and breathe for a while?” and was extremely relieved when Zira answered “yes” without skipping a beat.

They had driven for a while, and there was nothing around them except for land and sky and some houses in the distance when Zira said, “oh, here. Stop the car.”

So Raphael did. Zira stepped out, closed the door, and leaned against the side of the car. Raphael followed him, but decided to sit on the hood. The demon was looking up at the stars.

“I’ve never thanked you for them.”

Raphael smiled and looked at the sky too. “It wasn’t only me, you know.”

“I’m sure you did the best job, though,” Zira added, teasingly. Raphael scoffed.

“Of course I did.”

After a few minutes, Raphael spoke again, unable to keep his racing thoughts to himself. “I don’t think they’ll want me back.”

“Likewise. About Downstairs, I mean,” then cackled, adding, “well, Upstairs either, but I’ve known for a while now.”

“Maybe that’s for the better.”

“What do you mean?”

“Neither of us really ever fit in either. It’s time we have our own side.”

Raphael could feel Zira smile. “I thought we already did.”

“Yes, but not officially.”

“You think we can make it official tomorrow? Whatever they have in store for us.”

After a moment of thinking, Raphael answered, “yes, I think so. I think what happened was all Her plan, actually.”

Zira scoffed. “Ah, that would be in Her style. This whole mess just to make it not happen.”

“I mean, not only Armageddon. I think we were meant to meet each other.”

Zira looked at him. “You think?”

“I’m sure. Whatever happened, whatever could have, I think we were meant to be here now.”

“In the middle of nowhere?”

“By each other’s side.”

Zira looked back at the stars, but Raphael definitely caught the smile and the hint of blush on his cheeks, even in the dark. 

“The view is beautiful,” Zira changed the subject, clearing his throat.

Raphael couldn’t help but smirk. “Yeah, it is,” he said, without taking his eyes off Zira, who laughed, looking away.

“Very smooth, Raphael.”

“I learned from the best.”

Raphael leaned his head against Zira’s shoulder and they stayed there for a few more minutes. Then decided it was time to go back.

When they were sitting in the car again, Raphael didn’t start driving immediately. He thought, for a second, about what was going to happen the following day. He had no idea, neither of them knew, but there was something he knew for certain. Something he had learned during all those centuries, and during those last eleven years, and during the last week. During the last day. They truly were on their own side, no matter what.

He looked at Zira sitting next to him, who was returning the gaze, and took a breath.

“I love you,” he said and it felt like the most natural thing he had ever done. Like loving Zira was like breathing and it really was. Just as easy. Even after everything they had gone through, he had never stopped being in love with him for one second. 

Zira stared at him for a moment, taken aback. Then he visibly relaxed and smiled. “I love you, too.”

And Raphael hadn’t doubted that for a second. They had never said it to each other, probably too scared back in the nineteenth century. But it was so clear and it always had been.

A second later, neither of them knew who moved first, but Raphael’s hands were cupping Zira’s face, who was holding his hips, and they were kissing and finally everything felt like being in the right place. 

They pulled away for a moment, looking at each other, smiling so wide that it almost hurt their faces. Then Zira leaned in again, moving Raphael even closer to him by his hips, and right when they were about to kiss again, Zira grabbed his shirt and pulled him on the backseat with him. Raphael let out a yelp and started laughing, “what are you doing?”

Zira answered with a kiss and they managed to exchange a few more through both their laughter, until Raphael pulled away. “Not here.”

Zira stole another kiss. “Mh, why not?”

“Because we’re in my car in the middle of nowhere.”

“This seems like the opposite of a problem to me.”

Raphael shook his head, “how romantic,” he teased and kissed him once more, before going back to the driver seat. Zira returned to the passenger seat.

They held hands the whole drive back at Raphael’s apartment.

-

-

The following day, after a whole night of trying to decipher Agnes’s prophecy, and a hint from Leonard, who said Hell was making some kind of deal with Heaven to exchange something, they were ready.

So Raphael with Zira’s face survived the bath of Holy Water the demons had prepared and Zira with Raphael's face went through Heaven’s tower of Hellfire. They met back on a bench in St. James park and switched back.

“They’re going to leave us alone for a while now, I think,” said Zira. “You should have seen their faces.”

Raphael laughed. “Oh, you too, absolutely. It was amazing.”

“So,” Zira smiled wide. “Lunch?”

“I’d love to.”

A table was miraculously free at the Ritz, as usual. There they ate, smiling softly at each other, holding hands every once in a while and saying ‘I love you’ so much that it felt like they were trying to make up for lost time. Not that they had to rush, they had all the time in the world. 

“Zira, love,” Raphael said towards the end of their meal.

“Yes?”

“No matter what happens, no matter if they’ll figure it out or how long it will take them, we’re not giving this up ever again.”

Zira smiled sweetly and placed a hand on the side of Raphael’s face, who leaned into the touch. “Of course, dear. No matter if they threaten us again?”

Raphael shook his head. “No matter what.”

**Author's Note:**

> the scene after Armageddon't is inspired by the song "Tomorrow" by MIKA


End file.
